quote:Fifteen hosts have been arrested for fatally beating a colleague during repeated attacks they described as 'friendly punches' or 'explosions,' police said Saturday.

Each of the 15 male employees of Tokyo host club Emperor who were arrested for inflicting bodily injury resulting in the death of 20-year-old host Shigeaki Takahata admits to the allegations.

"I suppose we did go a bit too far," Tomohiro Mikuriya, one of the arrested hosts, told the police. He later added, "Takahata would lie to customers and higher-ranking hosts and he wouldn't obey orders. To try and discipline him, we would give him what we called 'friendly punches' or 'explosions.'"

Police said that from March 24 until April 4, the 15 hosts would take turns punching Takahata to the head, face and abdomen, or clubbing him with wine bottles. On April 4, he was rushed to a hospital, but died of shock. (Mainichi Shimbun, April 6, 2002)

"I suppose we did go a bit too far"??? I do hope something was lost in the translation of that comment.

posted 04-08-2002 08:20 AM PT (US)
Yeah, unfortuanately for the Japanese, this is a custom. I feel sure they just thought he was taking it ok, since he was prolly one tough, rebellious cookie. But they didn't realize his body had gone in shock. In shock you can handle anything because the signals from that part of the brain that has pain is cut off. That is so sad. I have so often wished that custom would end in that country. It is super tough to be a slacker in corporate, Japan. Maybe his death will not be in vain, but instead lead to change in this tradition.